The Graduate School
All regulations in the Orange Pages apply to graduate
students, with the exception of the sections which treat The
Honor Committee and University Discipline.
Jurisdiction over Graduate Students for Violations of
Academic Rules and Regulations
Jurisdiction over all violations of academic rules and
regulations rests with the Dean of the Graduate School. For
a more detailed explanation of the regulations and the
procedures, see pages 70-73.
The Graduate Student Government
The Graduate Student Government plays an important role
in many of the areas of direct concern to graduate students.
It advocates for the interests of graduate students and
seeks to enhance the quality of their lives.
Dormitory Regulations
Dormitory and apartment regulations for graduate students
are established and administered by the Housing Office in
conjunction with the Office of the Dean of the Graduate
School. Students violating these regulations will be subject
to University disciplinary action, which may include the
imposition of fines by the Housing Office. These regulations
can be found in the Orange Pages as well as the
Residential Life and Food Services Guide for Graduate
Students.
Alcohol Policy
See page 48. Those who are of legal drinking age and who
wish to sponsor campus events with alcohol must comply with
the guidelines established by and obtainable from the Office
of the Dean of the Graduate School.
Dining Regulations
Graduate students who live in the Graduate College are
required to participate in one of the meal plans offered
there, unless excused by the Associate Dean for Student
Affairs. The detailed terms of the dining contracts are
available in the Residential Life and Food Services Guide
for Graduate Students.
Financial Regulations
A detailed discussion of specific fees, terms of payment,
rebates, and financial aid is printed in the Graduate
School Announcement.
The Graduate School Judicial System
As members of the University community, graduate students
are bound by the rules and procedures described in the
sections on "University Regulations" (see page 4) and "The
University and the Law" (see page 7). (All dormitory
regulations are applicable to graduate students who reside
in the Graduate College.)
Graduate students are governed by the presumption that
their academic work is held to the highest standards of
research and scholarship . . . "all forms of academic fraud
. . . specifically plagarism, multiple submission, false
citation, and the use of false dataare regarded as serious
violations and will be subjected to disciplinary
action."
Charges concerning academic fraud should not be handled
informally or at the departmental level but must be brought
as soon as possible, as a complaint either by a graduate
student or against a graduate student, to the attention of
the Dean of the Graduate School.
Disciplinary Procedures
When the Office of the Graduate School has been informed
of a charge against a graduate student, whether academic or
nonacademic, the student is immediately notified by the
appropriate Assistant or Associate Dean of the impending
investigation. The student is provided with a written
statement concerning the charge as well as a copy of the
procedures governing the investigation and the range of
possible penalties (see page 2). The hearing dean will
encourage the student to seek the advice of a resident
faculty member. At this time the student is invited to
submit a written response to the charge.
Alleged infractions judged to be of a minor nature, for
which precedents exist and for which penalties will not
interrupt the student's academic career, are normally
investigated and resolved by the Assistant or Associate
Dean. If the student is not satisfied with the finding, he
or she may appeal the decision to the Dean of the Graduate
School.
The deadline for filing such an appeal is one week from
the date of the original decision. The student should
understand that, in hearing the appeal, the Dean of the
Graduate School is not bound in any way by the prior
decision of the Assistant/Associate Dean and that, after
reviewing the facts the Dean of the Graduate School may
impose a greater or lesser penalty than that originally
imposed by the Assistant Dean.
Alleged serious violations of University rules and
regulations may be brought directly to the Judicial
Committee of the CPUC (see page 24). Normally, however,
discipline cases are referred in the first instance to the
Graduate School. In such cases the Dean is advised, in
accordance with Rules and Procedures of the Faculty,
by the Subcommittee on Student Life and Discipline. The
Subcommittee consists of the Dean of the Graduate School,
ex officio, as chair, the Associate Dean for Student
Affairs of the Graduate School as secretary (both without
vote), and four members of the Graduate School Faculty
Committee appointed yearly by the Dean, one from each
division of the University (with a quorum of at least
three). The Subcommittee may be enlarged, at the student's
request, by four graduate students, selected at random, who
have equal votes with the faculty members of the
Subcommittee.
In general, the procedures of the Subcommittee are
analogous to the "General Procedures" of the Judicial
Committee of the CPUC (see page 25). It should be noted,
however, that the Subcommittee always meets in closed
session. Moreover, since cases vary widely, their
disposition will inevitably depend upon the nature of the
alleged infraction. For instance, since cases often involve
students who are not presently, or no longer, in residence,
the student's presence at the proceedings is not an absolute
requirement as long as the student has personally received
adequate notification and been given reasonable opportunity
to submit a written response to the charges. (In such cases
students who are unable to be present may, at their request,
be represented by an adviser who is a current member of the
resident University community, and who may participate in
the same manner as the student in the hearing. The
Subcommittee does not deal with outside counsel.) The nature
of the evidence, as well as the pursuit of the inquiry, will
inevitably depend upon the nature of the alleged infraction.
However, the student always has the right to appear before
the Subcommittee with or without an adviser as defined
above. In every case the Subcommittee proceeds with an
appropriate regard for fair process, deliberate speed, and
satisfactory records. In order to find that a student has
violated a University rule, the Subcommittee must be
persuaded that the charges against the student are supported
by clear and persuasive evidence.
Following its investigation the Subcommittee presents its
advice in the form of a recommendation to the Dean, who
observing fair process and deliberate speed, normally
accepts it (but is not bound to do so). The student is
notified by the Dean in writing of the Subcommittee's
recommendation and the Dean's action, and is also informed
of his or her rights of appeal and the appropriate
procedures. Confidential records of all proceedings and of
the actions of the Deans are maintained in the Office of the
Dean. The use of these documents is restricted, according to
the rules and procedures concerning the confidential nature
of student records.
The Dean of the Graduate School may, in some instances,
refer the case back to the academic department for
resolution upon the advice of the Assistant/Associate Dean,
or the Subcommittee.
In exceptional circumstances a student may waive the
right to a hearing by the Subcommittee on Student Life and
Disciplne and request a hearing by the Dean of the Graduate
School. If the Dean agrees to hear the case, the student
retains the right to appeal the decision to the Dean of the
Faculty (for academic matters) or the Judicial Committee of
the CPUC (for nonacademic matters).
Penalties
The range of possible penalties embraces the seven
penalties specified above (see page 2) under "University
Regulations" and may also include, in cases involving
students who have already left the University, revocation of
the degree. Should the recommended penalty interrupt the
student's academic career (suspension or required
withdrawal), the Dean of the Graduate School will consult
with the student's department before reaching a final
decision.
Pending action on the charges by the Subcommittee or
pending an appeal, the student may remain in residence on
campus, attend classes, and make use of all University
facilities, except for reasons relating to the student's
physical or emotional safety or well-being, or for reasons
relating to the safety of other members of the University
community or University property. The student should
understand that, if an appeal proves unsuccessful, the
Dean's decision will normally be considered effective as of
the date of the original charge. Should the student decide
not to appeal a dismissal or the withholding or revocation
of the degree or should an appeal not result in an
alteration of the Subcommittee's recommendation, and the
Dean's decision, to dismiss the student or withhold or
revoke his or her degree, the Registrar will record the fact
of the penalty on the student's transcript.
Appeals
Any student wishing to appeal decisions of the Dean of
the Graduate School on academic matters should notify the
Dean of the Faculty in writing to that effect, specifying
the grounds of his or her appeal, not later than one week
(during which the University is in session) after receipt of
the written notice of the decision which the student wishes
to appeal. The Dean of the Faculty shall transmit the
student's written statement and any other relevant material
directly to the Advisory Committee on Policy and report the
transmittal to the faculty at its next meeting. The Advisory
Committee on Policy shall determine whether or not the
grounds of appeal are sufficient to warrant a hearing. If it
decides that they are, the Advisory Committee may appoint a
special panel to consider the individual case and make a
report with recommendations to the Advisory Committee, or it
may itself hear the appeal. In all cases, the decision of
the Advisory Committee shall be final.
Any student wishing to appeal decisions of the Dean of
the Graduate School on nonacademic matters should do so
through the Judicial Committee of the CPUC, which hears and
decides appeals from persons found guilty of violations of
rules of conduct, when such persons have alleged that the
proceedings against them have not been fair and reasonable.
The student wishing to have a judgment against him or her
reviewed shall, within one week (during which the University
is in session) of the original judgment, file a request for
a review with the secretary of the CPUC, stating the
authority that made the judgment and the date, and
indicating his or her reasons for requesting a review. The
secretary will immediately forward the request to the
chairman of the Judicial Committee. The committee will meet
in closed session and decide whether there are sufficient
grounds to hold a formal hearing. If the committee decides
that a reasonable doubt exists that the original proceedings
were fair and reasonable, a formal hearing will be
conducted. The committee may decide to uphold the previous
judgment, to reverse or alter the previous judgment, or to
return the case to the earlier hearing authority. The ruling
of the earlier authority will be upheld unless convincing
argument is presented to the contrary. Finally, the
President of the University may review decisions of the
Judicial Committee, and may reduce any penalties imposed but
may not increase them.
Graduate Student Grievances
The Office of the Dean of the Graduate School normally
handles in the first instance all grievances of graduate
students as well as complaints against graduate students.
This applies also to graduate students serving in the
capacity of Assistants in Instruction or Assistants in
Research. The Associate Dean of the Graduate School for
Student Affairs advises graduate students as to where their
grievances may be addressed; e.g., against an undergraduate,
to the Dean of Undergraduate Students; or against a faculty
member, to the Dean of Faculty; or against a staff member,
to the Office of Human Resources. In the case of unenrolled
students whose degree candidacy continues, these procedures
are valid in the appropriate cases for a period of five
years past the date of the General Examination, notably when
academic fraud is involved, but also in cases concerning
personal conduct under "University Regulations" if such
students are resident in Princeton.
A graduate student with a grievance concerning academic
matters (excluding academic fraud, as defined above) should
first attempt to resolve the grievance at the departmental
level through discussions with the faculty member(s)
concerned and/or the department chair and director of
graduate studies. If the student feels that a satisfactory
resolution has not been found, he or she should turn to the
Associate Dean of the Graduate School for Academic Affairs
for further advice. If a satisfactory resolution still
cannot be found through informal consultation, the student
may request adjudication by the Dean of the Graduate School,
who will render a decision as expeditiously as possible,
normally in consultation with, or upon the advice of, the
appropriate subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the
Graduate School (the Subcommittee on Policy or the
Subcommittee on Student Life and Discipline).
A graduate student with a grievance concerning a
nonacademic matter should turn to the Associate Dean of the
Graduate School for Student Affairs. If the grievance
concerns sexual harassment or assault (as defined on page
5), the Associate Dean will follow the procedures described
on page 20. Disciplinary cases involving allegations of
sexual harassment or assault by a graduate student that are
not resolved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School,
will be adjudicated by a designated subcommittee of the
Committee on Discipline, which will make recommendations
concerning its findings and, if necessary, a penalty, to the
Dean of the Graduate School. Appeals of the decision of the
Dean to either the President or to the Judicial Committee of
the CPUC will follow normal procedures governing the review
of disciplinary decisions. A more detailed description of
these procedures is available in the Office of the Dean of
the Graduate School.
In other cases the Associate Dean will first attempt to
resolve the grievance through informal consultation. If a
satisfactory resolution cannot be found by these means, the
student may request adjudication by the Dean of the Graduate
School, who will render a decision, normally in consultation
with, or upon the advice of, the Subcommittee on Student
Life and Discipline of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate
School.
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